Chapter 4: The City of Three Witches
"My name is Qin Sang. I work as an assistant for a merchant. This time, while out collecting goods, I was captured by a group of bandits. Yesterday, those bandits encountered their archenemies, and in the chaos, I managed to escape but got lost. My leg was injured, and I had no choice but to use a raft to drift down the river. I never expected to drift into the great river while asleep. Fortunately, you all saved me..."
Qin Sang sat on the deck, surrounded by burly men with swords and sabers at their waists. He was wrapped in an old cotton coat, which restored some warmth to his body, and he spoke softly, explaining his situation.
The man who had rescued Qin Sang from the river stood right in front of him. This man appeared to be around forty years old, with a lean face that gave him the look of a scholar. He was dressed similarly to the other burly men, wearing cloud-patterned boots, a tight-fitting azure outfit, and a treasured sword hanging from his waist. His posture was upright, giving him a very capable and efficient appearance.
Despite having walked on water for a long time, the man’s entire body remained clean and dry, with only the soles of his shoes showing a few traces of water.
The other men showed great respect towards him, addressing him as "Boss Bai," indicating that he was their leader.
Such a person couldn’t possibly be a pirate, and from their conversation, they seemed more like guards for some household. This realization allowed Qin Sang to relax slightly.
As he explained his situation, Qin Sang instinctively omitted the part about encountering the immortal master. Now that he had calmed down, he realized that while this Boss Bai was no ordinary person, he was still far from the level of an immortal master who could fly with a sword.
"Meeting in the middle of the river is fate, and extending a helping hand is only right. There's no need to mention any debt of gratitude! My name is Bai Jianglan, and I'm a few years older than you, Brother Qin. If you don't mind, just call me Brother Bai..."
Bai Jianglan’s words carried a touch of chivalry. He crouched down, his gaze sweeping over the large bloodstain on Qin Sang's chest, and smiled, saying, "When we first saw you lying motionless on the raft, we thought it was a corpse. Luckily, you sat up on your own... Now, let me take a look at your leg injury."
As he spoke, Bai Jianglan placed his hand on Qin Sang's injured leg and closed his eyes slightly.
A moment later, Qin Sang suddenly felt a warm current emanating from Bai Jianglan's fingers, entering his leg, and then traveling up through his blood vessels, eventually spreading throughout his entire body. The warmth dispelled the cold dampness that had seeped into his bones.
The warm current circulated through his body before gathering at the site of his leg injury. At first, a tingling sensation came from the painful area, followed by a significant reduction in the pain.
Feigning surprise, Qin Sang exclaimed, "Brother Bai, are you one of those legendary immortal masters? My leg is healing?"
The surrounding men burst into laughter. "Kid, you even managed to kill bandits, and you don't know what true qi is? You’re lucky to have met Boss Bai, who's willing to use his true qi to heal you. You should be thanking him!"
Qin Sang’s eyes flickered as he repeatedly expressed his gratitude.
Bai Jianglan withdrew his hand and, after calming his energy, opened his eyes and looked at Qin Sang. "It seems you really don’t know martial arts. I’m just a martial artist, not an immortal master, and I don't have the skills of one. This true qi, also known as inner strength, can help alleviate your pain, but fully healing your injury is difficult. Your leg bone isn’t broken, just fractured in a few places. I’ve used my internal force to disperse the clotted blood around the injury. Once you disembark, find a doctor to prescribe some bone-strengthening medicines. In less than a month, you should be fully recovered..."
"Ms. Chun Tao is here!"
A soft exclamation interrupted Bai Jianglan's words.
Everyone fell silent and moved aside, and Bai Jianglan stood up, turning to look.
Qin Sang noticed that they were near the stern of the ship. The row of cabins ahead was dark, except for the one in the middle, which was arranged as a flower hall, illuminated by candlelight. The light filtered through the lattice windows, but both the inside and outside of the windows were covered with gauze, making it impossible to see inside.
The door to the flower hall was partially open, and a slender figure carrying a lantern approached. As she came closer, Qin Sang saw that it was a young girl, around seventeen or eighteen years old.
She was dressed in a light green, delicate outfit, clearly of high quality, but it was no match for the chilly night wind on the river, causing her hands to tremble slightly from the cold.
The burly men seemed quite intimidated by her. As she walked by, they quickly stepped aside, respectfully bowing and greeting her, "Greetings, Ms. Chun Tao."
She must be their employer. Qin Sang thought.
"Commander Bai, Miss sent me to ask why the ship has stopped here."
Chun Tao's expression was displeased as she furrowed her brows and stepped forward. She was shorter than Bai Jianglan, so she lifted the lantern high, nearly pressing it against Bai Jianglan’s face, her oval-shaped eyes glaring at him in annoyance.
Bai Jianglan clasped his hands in a respectful salute and said, "Please inform the young lady that we stopped because we spotted a raft in distress in the middle of the river with someone still aboard. We have rescued the person and are ready to set sail again."
Upon hearing this, Chun Tao glanced down at Qin Sang and lowered the lantern, practically shoving it in his face.
Qin Sang, understanding his precarious situation, quickly straightened up and smiled awkwardly, nodding his head.
Before he could utter a word of thanks, Chun Tao snorted coldly and ordered, "Someone, throw him overboard!"
Qin Sang was shocked, not expecting this seemingly delicate girl to have such a ruthless heart. He quickly looked towards Bai Jianglan for help.
Bai Jianglan frowned slightly and gestured for his men to stand down, saying, "Ms. Chun Tao, that would be most unwise..."
Chun Tao’s brows shot up as she pointed at Bai Jianglan’s nose and began to berate him sharply, her voice growing shrill, "Bai! The king ordered you to protect the young lady, and this is how you do it? This little scoundrel looks shifty, covered in blood—clearly not a good person. How dare you let him on board? If he turns out to be an assassin and disturbs the young lady, how many heads do you have to lose?"
"Please, Ms. Chun Tao, calm down," Bai Jianglan remained composed, neither humble nor arrogant as he explained, "I’ve questioned this Brother Qin thoroughly. He doesn’t know any martial arts and is a victim of mountain bandits, barely escaping with his life. The blood on him is from the struggle to survive. There was no reason not to save him. Besides, Brother Qin’s leg is injured, making it difficult for him to move. With our men keeping watch, he won’t disturb the young lady."
Seeing that Bai Jianglan was insistent on rescuing the man, Chun Tao’s eyes darted, and she suggested, "Isn’t there a couple of small boats being towed behind the ship? Give him one and let him be on his way!"
Qin Sang gasped, taking in the vast, boundless river, with autumn tides surging. The riverbanks were lined with towering mountains, without a single light in sight, and the occasional strange cries of beasts echoed, making it seem like a ghostly domain.
To be cast adrift on a small boat in such a river, one would die without even knowing how.
This girl has a truly vicious heart!
Bai Jianglan responded, "Ms. Chun Tao, you may not know, but we have just entered the Ninefold Canyon of the Wuling River. The riverbanks here are steep cliffs and treacherous mountains, with no signs of human habitation and dangerous beasts roaming freely. The only option is to follow the river downstream. However, the Ninefold Canyon is the most dangerous and rapid part of the Wuling River. If we set a small boat adrift here, it would surely capsize. How about this: we allow Brother Qin to stay in the rear cabin for now, and we’ll set sail immediately. By dawn, we’ll have passed through the Ninefold Canyon, and we can then drop him off at the City of Three Witches. I’ll personally keep watch on the deck tonight to ensure nothing goes wrong."
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